I think this game will show if things are changing for this team

If we beat the Redskins, that's great. We beat the Eagles that year too. We even beat them again in the wild card round but then we faced better competition and got absolutely destroyed due to our lack of talent in the trenches.

The same thing will happen to this team should they beat the Redskins on Sunday.

I think the Cowboys were just a bad matchup for the Eagles in 2009. That team didnt have fight.

Wrong. Off the top of my head, they are missing they're best defensive player in Orakpo, another starter on the D-Line Carriker, one of their safties Merriweather, and their playmaking tight end Davis. Both teams have impact players that are injured, no excuses on either side, just go win the game.

If we beat the Redskins, that's great. We beat the Eagles that year too. We even beat them again in the wild card round but then we faced better competition and got absolutely destroyed due to our lack of talent in the trenches.

The same thing will happen to this team should they beat the Redskins on Sunday.

Yes this is exactly the case. Watching other games throughout the season(Denver, Seattle, SF) for example, these teams are consistent and rarely make mistakes. The addage that "you are what your record is" comes into play here. We have a pretty good team but we really don't know who is going to show up each Sunday. These other "better" teams are consistent and confident in all 3 phases throughout the whole game. They know their assigments and play solid team ball. Call it better talent or better coaching; they are just consistently better (esp in the trenches) than us.
I think the foreskins are alot like us in that respect so we'll give them a good game but playing the upper level talent (home or away) will tell the tale of how good we really are.

In recent years games with this much on the line, Dallas would fold at the opening kickoff. No spirit no fight nothing. If this team comes out ready to play despite its abundance of concerns, then there should be little doubt that at least the coaching culture has changed dramatically and that the direction for this team is on the upswing.

I have no idea what you could possibly be looking for in this game that hasn't already been on display the last 7 weeks. This is an undermanned team whose backs have been up against the wall since they were 3-5. This team may be short on talent right now but they're certainly not short on heart.

Being ready from the opening kickoff would be a welcome change for this team this year. For the most part, they have looked flat, unprepared and uninspired in the first half of games and that cost the team big against the Skins in their first meeting.

Hopefully JG gets rid of his usual early game plan of plodding, conservative, predictable play calling and tempo and instead play to the strengths of Romo and this offense. I would like to see him mix in some no-huddle early in the game, I'm not saying to use it exclusively, but mix it up. There is no denying our results using the no-huddle, but don't wait until we HAVE to use it. It will help keep their def. guessing and off balance and hopefully give our unit a spark, confidence early in the game and most importantly early points.

As banged up as our defense is, we obviously can't use it exclusively, since too many 3 and outs will tire our already weakened defense. If we can actually get early points, it will help our defense and help force the Skins to have to score.

I have no idea what you could possibly be looking for in this game that hasn't already been on display the last 7 weeks. This is an undermanned team whose backs have been up against the wall since they were 3-5. This team may be short on talent right now but they're certainly not short on heart.

Simple it's a win or go home game. Past teams in this scenerio gave very little effort and frankly looked ill prepared. What I'm looking for is a team that doesn't play scared in this game.

In recent years games with this much on the line, Dallas would fold at the opening kickoff. No spirit no fight nothing. If this team comes out ready to play despite its abundance of concerns, then there should be little doubt that at least the coaching culture has changed dramatically and that the direction for this team is on the upswing.

I think the last 4 weeks have been huge games for Dallas.
I don't see any quit in this team. They may lose, but it won't be due a lack of effort.

Wrong. Off the top of my head, they are missing they're best defensive player in Orakpo, another starter on the D-Line Carriker, one of their safties Merriweather, and their playmaking tight end Davis. Both teams have impact players that are injured, no excuses on either side, just go win the game.

They are a lot more healthy then us. Were missing a NT, both IMLB's, and S. They love to run and were missing our heart on defense. That's a lot to overcome.

Yes they were, but those guys are still huge parts from their team. Injuries are no excuse for either team because both teams have them.

Both our starting safeties. Tenard Jackson never made it onto the field this year and is serving a year long suspension. Our 3rd corner Cedric Griffin is serving a 4 game suspension, and another safety De Jon Gomes sprained his MCL on special teams last week. Our secondary aside from Hall and Wilson are guys who are practice squad material on most teams.

On offense we miss Fred Davis, our only real TE threat...other than that we are fairly healthy right now aside from our RT Polumbus who has a concussion and missed the Eagles game...but he's nothing to speak of anyway.

Will be interesting to see how the teams match up next year when both defenses are more healthy.

Cinn is the only good win to talk about to be honest. Pitt had fallen apart before they even played us. They let a team as pathetic as the Chargers come in their house and completely dominate them. So while it was nice to beat a team that has had discipline over the last 10 years (something our team dreams of), they weren't really a good team if we are being honest with ourselves.

The Cinn game came more down to them beating themselves because of their WR's dropping balls left and right. None the less it was still a great win. We found a way to get it done against them.
.

I agree 100%. Last year I knew we were walking into an ambush in NY, I do not feel that way this year, so we will see. I don't want to hear about injuries. Green Bay won a superbowl with half their team on IR. Skins are missing Adam Carriker, Brian Orakpo, Tanard Jackson, Brandon Merriweather, Fred Davis.

Plumfool;4921901 said:

In recent years games with this much on the line, Dallas would fold at the opening kickoff. No spirit no fight nothing. If this team comes out ready to play despite its abundance of concerns, then there should be little doubt that at least the coaching culture has changed dramatically and that the direction for this team is on the upswing.

I agree 100%. Last year I knew we were walking into an ambush in NY, I do not feel that way this year, so we will see. I don't want to hear about injuries. Green Bay won a superbowl with half their team on IR. Skins are missing Adam Carriker, Brian Orakpo, Tanard Jackson, Brandon Merriweather, Fred Davis.

BS......they won a SB with half their spares on IR.....onlly a couple of starters were on that list....

show me the team that has done anything with 7 defensive starters down and an O line like ours ,starting center out all season....RB out half the season....and TE starting season with ruptured spleen

Wrong. Off the top of my head, they are missing they're best defensive player in Orakpo, another starter on the D-Line Carriker, one of their safties Merriweather, and their playmaking tight end Davis. Both teams have impact players that are injured, no excuses on either side, just go win the game.

the magnitude of our defensive injuries are in different ballparks

We are without our top two nose tackles. a DE. Both Inside LB's. Nickle corner, and Safety. Sprinkle in that we then lost the backups to those starters in many cases, and this defense is easily the most injured of any in the league this season.

If we beat the Redskins, that's great. We beat the Eagles that year too. We even beat them again in the wild card round but then we faced better competition and got absolutely destroyed due to our lack of talent in the trenches.

The same thing will happen to this team should they beat the Redskins on Sunday.

Have to agree. I think this is a fair analysis of what will happen as we move on. At some point the injuries will catch up to us and the lines on both sides of the ball will get exposed but...

Not this game. This is going to be close and will be decided by a few crucial plays. And if it comes down to a Bailey field goal - game over!

Then again many fans threw in the towel vs Cinn and Pitt only to be wrong.

If this game were about fans predictions, then you may have a point. But this is about which team is fundamentally better and executes their game plan at a higher degree, along with better players.

I always marvel at your straw man arguments that are not germane. Did Dallas win games thought to be unwinnable? Yes.

Were the teams they faced inferior to Dallas?

Steelers were, Cinn just dropped passes.

However...

The Redskin offensive line is superior, and something Jerry needs to play close attention to when the game is on.

They can play man-up on our defensive line and get a road grader on the linebacker at the point of attack. Their style is cutback lanes which if blocked correctly will force Dallas to try and tackle with a linebacker who would not start for this team in any fashion were it not for injury. If Dallas was playing Bruce/Lee, this might be an entirely different game. Add Rat and a competent safety instead of the street people and this may be in the favor of Dallas.

Once gouged that play action quarterback option thing they do is what kicked the butt of the defense last time. It will again.

This almost reminds me of the counter trey used by the Redskins back in the days of Theisman and Riggens. Create a seam by starting your line left and bringing the left guard back right to wipe out the linebacker and give Riggo a go with the safeties. He was such a load that he took yards in chunks

One the other side of the ball Dallas will need to find the run game this weekend because if Murray is as unsuccessful as he was in the second half of the Saints game this will get ugly because Romo will be man handled again like last time. The only saving grace in the Turkeyday contest was the fact the Redskins got out to such a large lead they let up. But still when they had to have it to win the game the offense turned it back on.

Now factor in Fedex Field and the foaming at the mouth inbred mouth breathers that follow the racially insensitive team from Washington and this will be a tough day at the office.

Surely any given Sunday and all that. But truth is they are a better team than Dallas, and have advantages all over the field.

This is why it is important for Jerry to understand what he sees and not run off with this foolish idea he can make this offensive line of Dallas into a bunch of studs next year by moving Bernadeau to center and some guy that went undrafted with knee troubles to guard.

I would be more than mildly shocked if Dallas won this game on anything but a Hail Mary fluke play at the end.

If Dallas wins it will be a miraculous performance late by Romo and Dez/Witten. But my feeling is water into wine will not happen Sunday.

No0w if you want to talk about feel good positions, then I guess Xs and Os may be a little out of your wheel house.

Which is the usual for anyone who calls doom and gloom to other fans that use an analytical point of view to assess the game.

I think the Cowboys were just a bad matchup for the Eagles in 2009. That team didnt have fight.

Well you certainly do live up to your name. So you think an 8-5 team that went into New Orleans to face the undefeated Saints, with their playoff hopes on the line, and won had no heart? That same team went on the road again the next week to face a division rival and won, then closed out the deal against the Eagles in a winner takes the division finale. Then they won their playoff game the next week. So that team that won four straight critical, late season games with their backs against the wall had no heart?! Plumfool indeed....